


Coffee Conversations

by Neverever



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Coffee Addict Tony Stark, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Possibly Pre-Slash, Steve Has Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-04
Updated: 2013-09-04
Packaged: 2017-12-25 15:31:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/954769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neverever/pseuds/Neverever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the Avengers moved into the Tower, they each brought their own specialized coffee and tea equipment.  Even Steve has a contribution.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coffee Conversations

**Author's Note:**

> For my beta, who loves her coffee.

When Tony outfitted the Avenger’s common kitchen, he put in a standard coffee maker. Not that a plain vanilla coffee maker truly reflected his deep love of coffee. He loved the complicated coffee drinks he ordered at coffee shops; he loved the coffee that showed up at his desk unasked for; he loved the sludge from his workshop coffee maker at 4 am. The more he thought about it, he really should upgrade the kitchen coffee maker. He found a complicated monster of a machine that had multiple timers, metal filter, different carafes, all the bells and whistles. Tony was pleased.

After Natasha moved in, she came with her espresso machine. It had been well loved over the years. One early morning, as Natasha and Tony bonded over a discussion of their mutual love of Italian coffee, they attempted to make cappuccino. Natasha’s old machine died a gallant death, coughing up a last cup and then going out with the sound of internal gears seizing up and a whiff of smoke. Tony could only answer, shaking his head when Natasha asked. “I’m a miracle worker and a genius, but this machine just gave up the ghost.” They bought a top-of-the-line Italian-made espresso machine, equipped with a special milk frothing attachment. The espresso machine was set up next to the monster coffee maker.

Bruce brought with him a vast selection of tea, a tea scale, kettle and tea pots, infusers and tea balls, and a little machine he swore heated up water faster than a microwave. All his tea equipment fit nicely next to the coffee and espresso machines. The tea was stowed away in the freezer or the cabinets. Tony enjoyed venturing out of the workshop at midnight to meet with Bruce and swap lab stories over coffee and tea and the occasional snack.

Clint settled for coffee from the monster machine. But he contributed coffee accessories to the coffee and tea area – specialty coffees, a French press, special mugs, two different coffee grinders, spare filters and measuring spoons. Tony was surprised but Clint shrugged it off. For some reason, people just gave him coffee related gifts, Clint confided over a double espresso to Tony. Finally they would have some sort of use instead of languishing in a corner of his under-used apartment.

Since Thor was not from around here, he was not all that familiar with coffee but he was making up for lost time. Thor loved trying new coffee drinks, especially in large quantities. He spent a lot of time with Natasha and Bruce concocting complicated coffees from the espresso machine and playing with the milk frother.

As for Steve, well, Steve clearly had no taste since he drank whatever was available from the monster machine. He never used the espresso machine or the French press. He politely tried Bruce’s tea when Bruce offered but did not seem to cotton to it. Tony thought it was Cap’s loss that he did not enjoy their little caffeinated paradise in the common kitchen.

Well, it was paradise until Clint wanted to bring in a Keurig coffee maker.

Coming up from a Stark Industries meeting, Tony found Thor leaning against the refrigerator listening with amusement to Natasha, Clint and Bruce argue where to put the Keurig. There was no room now on the counter where all the machines, accessories, coffees and teas were stored for another machine. Clint was rather insistent – there were times he just did not want to spend extra time waiting for coffee and he wanted the Keurig out on the counter. Natasha was not willing to put away the espresso machine – nearly everyone could agree on that – but something else would have to go. Bruce was willing to compromise to a point on his tea equipment but wanted to keep the scale and hot water heater available. Unfortunately the argument became a bit heated, especially when Tony joined the fray with his suggestions about what could be left out and what could be put away.

No one knew how long the argument went on, until they heard the very unmistakable sound of a vibranium shield being set very firmly against the kitchen island. They all looked up startled at Steve in full uniform looking a little worse for wear. “What’s going on?” he asked in a weary tone.

Tony laughed a little. “You know, the biggest question of our age – does the Keurig machine get to cavort with the other coffee machines on the counter?”

Anyone could tell that Steve was very tightly wound today. He looked over the vast coffee and tea empire laid out over the kitchen counters. He ran his hand through his blond hair, leaned against the island in a typical Captain America pose, and then rubbed his face with his hand. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he sighed in a I-can’t –believe-I put-up-with-this-shit way.

Thor said, “Each machine is worthy in its own way. Perhaps we could move them to a different counter?”

Tony high-fived Thor. “That’s why you're my favorite.”

Picking up his shield, Steve side-eyed everyone and huffed out, “Okay. I’m off to the gym.”

“Who’s up for macchiatos?” Tony asked once Captain Crankypants left. Steve had no idea what he was missing.

 

Two days later, Steve was making breakfast for everyone. The other Avengers started to filter in and settled around the kitchen table. Tony was the last to come down to join them. He was still drowsy and a touch irritated. Coffee would solve all his problems, especially if he could get in a good look at Steve’s ass while Steve cooked the eggs and pancakes. Tony went over to the coffee paradise. And everything was gone.

What the ---? He looked over at his teammates who were clearly lacking coffee too. Tony narrowed his eyes as he guessed the source of all their coffee misery was Captain Crankypants. “Steve, what did you do with the coffee stuff?” he asked, not particularly kindly.

Steve set down plates of food in front of everyone and a mug of tea for Bruce. “The percolator’s on.” He pointed to the weird looking pot on the counter. “Or if you prefer, I could start up the vacuum coffee pot. I’m not too sure about that one – it’s a little fussy.” Tony looked over the odd contraption on the stove. There was some promise of coffee soon now that the percolator was starting to sound very loud.

Tony slid into one of the remaining empty seats. “What’s going on?” he asked. Clint shrugged. “Steve,” Tony whined, “coffee, buddy?”

“Well, if you don’t want to wait, I could offer you Nescafe.” Steve held up a packet of freeze-dried instant coffee. Tony did not want, at all. He frowned at Steve. Steve was setting down fruit and muffins calmly and deliberately, not rattled at all by Tony’s unhappiness.

Then Steve brought the percolator over to the table. He had to use a potholder to hold the handle of the pot. He poured the coffee into ridiculously small cups. Then he sat down. 

Tony felt as if everything was off kilter. The coffee tasted a bit odd he thought after he inhaled it. He asked for more and Steve, clearly immune to his suffering, cheerfully offered to put on another pot.

The view of Steve’s ass in his workout gear as he went to make more coffee could not assuage Tony’s disappointment in the poor coffee offerings this morning. “Is this a weird 40s thing, Steve? Seriously? Nostalgia day or something?”

Steve settled back at the table. “This is how I learned to make coffee. I have plenty of Nescafe if people want any.”

“Where are the coffee makers?” Tony asked.

“Needed the counter room to make breakfast. It will all be fixed later.” Steve said in a vague way. 

It was going to be a long, long, long day, Tony thought with resignation.

 

Despite the disappointments of breakfast, Tony fired up his workshop coffee maker as soon as he could. Or more precisely, delegated Dum-E to make coffee for him as he tried to forget the taste of Steve’s 40s coffee. Around 1 am after a long satisfying day in the workshop, Tony decided to try his luck in the kitchen and he really hoped that the espresso machine was back out on the counter.

The lights were on in the kitchen and Steve was seated at the table with tablet and scratch paper. He seemed to be very absorbed in analyzing something or other. Tony said hello, trying to show that he did not hold a grudge against Steve for the coffee hijacking. The espresso machine was back in its regular place, next to a very plain practically no-name coffee maker with a very large carafe. Everything else was put away. Except for a lengthy note in Steve’s precise handwriting: “First person in the morning (defined as anytime after 5:30 am) makes the coffee or sets the timer to make coffee; person cleaning up washes up the pot. If you want coffee at any time, it’s on you to clean up. If you don’t clean up, the consequences are either extra cleaning shifts or special training sessions with me in the gym, your choice. Steve.”

“Wow,” Tony marveled. “This is rather precise.”

“If it makes you happy, you’re not the reason behind the note. Clint and Thor thought that cleaning up was someone else’s business. Thor had an excuse, prince from Asgard, but Clint not so much,” Steve offered. 

“And the new machine?”

“Mine, actually. One of the first things I bought when I moved to my apartment after, well, you know.”

Tony was not expecting that, especially after the morning’s demonstration. He sat down at the table with his cappuccino. “Oh, I guess that makes sense,” Tony replied and sipped from his cup. “So about this morning?” He was still weighing how to make Steve pay for messing with his morning coffee.

Steve smiled a little. “Yeah, maybe that wasn’t fair,” he conceded. “I guess I must have snapped seeing you all arguing over how many coffee machines to have on the counter. It seemed a little silly. So I wanted to show what it was like to make coffee without a coffee maker.” Steve paused a second and then added, “I was tempted to use coffee substitute. But you were going to suffer enough so I decided against the chicory.”

“Thanks for that. Wait a minute, coffee substitute?” Tony tried to get his head around that idea.

“My mother couldn’t afford real coffee often when I growing up so she used coffee substitutes. We had the instant coffee in the field in the war. I didn’t drink good coffee regularly until I ended up in this century.”

Tony really felt for Steve and what he had missed out on. He patted Steve’s hand and said, “I mourn the lack of good coffee in your life. I can make up for your lack of education. Just say the word.”

Steve laughed. They sat in companionable silence while Tony went to make another cappuccino and Steve continued to analyze the data on his tablet. Then Steve said, “Sometimes I just get tired, Tony, of being reminded I’m from the 40s.”

Tony was not sure how at all what Steve was going to say. Steve seemed suddenly very thoughtful and a little downcast.

Steve continued, “The day of the coffee makers? I spent the afternoon working with some SHIELD staffers who clearly assumed I am an idiot around technology. It was all look at this shiny new thing you obviously don’t understand or don’t worry your pretty little head about that thing over there.” He shrugged. “I’m not having a problem with technology. I’m not having problems with computers and cell phones. Actually I really like a lot of what’s out there and I’ve always liked learning new things.” Steve poked at the tablet.

“But SHIELD? They gave me that percolator and vacuum pot. Because I can’t figure my way out of a paper bag, apparently.” Steve sighed. “I really like the coffee maker I bought on my own so much better.”

“And I am totally down with that,” Tony replied sympathetically. “It’s not a bad machine at all. Although I don’t understand why you totally reorganized the coffee area.”

“There was a simple solution. Everyone was using the espresso machine and the regular coffee maker. The old machine was too big so I brought mine out. I left the Keurig machine with Clint and the monster machine is in a closet somewhere. And Bruce and I took over a cabinet for his tea stuff. I have to return your cordless drill, by the way. So problem solved.”

Steve was always a man with a plan. “That’s efficient,” Tony acknowledged, drinking his second cappuccino. “But, let’s talk about your coffee education --”

Steve snorted. “I’m good, Tony,” he said as he drank his own coffee, black, no sugar.


End file.
